Magherafelt end Newbridge bid for three-in-a-row to win Derry SFC at Celtic Park

Magherafelt beat Newbridge 3-17 to 0-20 at Celtic Park to claim the Derry Senior Football Championship on 25 October 2026. The south Derry club secured their first county title since 2019, denying Newbridge a third consecutive crown.

Magherafelt have not lifted the Derry SFC trophy since beating Glen in 2019, when goalkeeper Odhran Lynch was 19, and had been beaten in three finals since that victory. Newbridge entered the game chasing three Derry SFC titles in a row, a run that was halted by Magherafelt on Sunday.

Goals from Johnny McErlain, Aidan McCluskey and Cormac Murphy proved decisive, sealing the victory for Magherafelt. The win came at Celtic Park and left Newbridge short of the hat-trick of county titles they had sought.

Reflecting on the long wait, Lynch said: "It's just nice to get back and it's probably been too long." He added: "We've been knocking on the door and that's the fourth time coming into a final since we last won it."

Lynch acknowledged the team's self-inflicted difficulties in the game but welcomed the outcome. "We just made everything hard for ourselves. We probably still made things hard for ourselves there today, but it's just great to get over the line," he said.

Lynch has struggled with injury in recent seasons and missed out on playing for both club and county Derry, making the recovery and triumph particularly meaningful. He stated: "It's 363 days since I had the operation on the hip, so a year on Tuesday. It was well over a year before I got to play any football again. It's unbelievable."

On his return to form Lynch noted his fitness run and paid tribute to club coach Gavin Devlin, who supported his rehabilitation while also managing Louth to the All-Ireland semi-final. "I've played 13 or 14 games in a row. I haven't been beat since I've come back thankfully, in the league or Championship," Lynch said. He added: "He [Devlin] was lifting me every day to go for a coffee and go to the gym to do rehab. I couldn't even get in and out of the car really. He was lifting my leg in and out for me. That's what he's doing. He's Louth manager and he's a club man too."

The result ended Newbridge's hopes of winning three Derry SFC titles in a row, and Lynch reflected on the support that aided the victory: "It's just unbelievable, you have the right people there looking after you. It makes it even better when you win something."